1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing enhanced functionality to webpages. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a unified gift registry which allows user to register and purchase gifts from multiple retailers.
2. Description of Related Art
Gift registries are often created for special occasions such as weddings. Gift-recipients visit a retailer to select and register a list of desired gifts. Gift-givers then visit the retailer to select and purchase a gift from this list. The gift is then marked as purchased and therefore no longer available for purchase by a subsequent gift-giver.
Gift registries are typically separately maintained at each store and are particular to each store. This requires both gift-recipients and gift-givers to visit the same store. Gift registries are often maintained on a single non-networked computer within the individual store to automate the bookkeeping functions.
Gift registries may also be implemented on a computer network, which provides improved access to other stores of the same retailer as well as gift-givers. For example, a private network between stores associated with the same retailer allows gift-recipients and gift-givers to visit any store which is part of the network to register or purchase gifts. As another example, a publicly accessible network such as the Internet allows gift-recipients and gift-givers to register and purchase gifts from a computer with Internet access. Such networked gift registries are currently provided by numerous individual retailers.
However, these networked gift registries are particular to each retailer and are designed to work only with stores of the same retailer, and are limited to products available in the stores of the same retailer.
Currently, gift-recipients wishing to register gifts from more than one retailer must visit each retailer, create a new registry account, and go through the oftentimes laborious process of selecting and registering gifts to be placed on their registry. This process must be repeated for every retailer involved, each process varying in number of steps and degree of difficulty. Gift-givers wishing to purchase these registered gifts must determine which stores to shop at, look up each registry, and purchase the gift through the supplying retailer. Both the gift-recipient and the gift-giver are inconvenienced by a narrower product selection, store location, inability to reconcile registry lists across multiple retailers, and the degree of effort required.
Furthermore, gift registry services offered by just one retailer often contain erroneous listings, untimely updates of product selection and purchase status, and may lead to duplicate gift purchases.
Current gift registry solutions require the retailer to offer their own registry services for their own product selection. However, it is difficult for many retailers to to carry a sufficient number of products to provide the product selection consumers often desire.
What is needed is a single gift registry service that is compatible with more than one retailer. What is needed is a gift registry solution which allows a gift-recipient to visit a single location and create a gift registry which includes products from more than one retailer. What is also needed is a gift registry solution which allows a gift-giver to visit a single location and access a gift registry which includes products from more than one retailer.